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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To be angry at FB "friend" over cat post and be desperate to post something scathing

166 replies

Witchofzog · 19/04/2019 13:48

Post reads " Now baby is here and about to come out of hospital, we need to rehome our cat due to the hair issue. She is short haired, 1 year old and really friendly. She has been flead and wormed but isn't vaccinated or spayed"

I feel like asking whether they realised a cat could live to around 16 before they got her if they knew babies could be a possibility, and why she isn't bloody vaccinated etc. And why can't they try the cat and baby living together at least before they think of revoking. It's such an arsehole thing to do in my book

OP posts:
LettuceLeave · 19/04/2019 18:31

I rehomed my car after having him for 2 years when my DD was about 4 months old. We started to let him go outside a few months after the baby was born, but he kept shitting in grass and getting himself covered in it and then bringing the shit into the house! He was also getting bullied by the other cats in the area but hated being inside once he had been let out. And finally we needed to move house and knew from previous experience that we would struggle to find somewhere that would allow pets. I miss him all the time. It was such a hard decision. But he's in a great house now with my friend and absolutely loving life! It's a shame cause I bet my DD would love to have a cat now! She's 11 months old and loves animals.

Witchofzog · 19/04/2019 18:40

No health issues as far as I know. Their little boy arrived in the early hours and coming home today I think. The post about the cat came literally 3 hours after the birth announcement Confused

OP posts:
madcatladyforever · 19/04/2019 18:42

She would no longer be a friend of mine. My son grew up with 4 cats and came to no harm at all.

Soubriquet · 19/04/2019 18:43

There’s still that old wives tale about cats stealing babies breaths which a lot of people still believe Hmm

Most cats won’t go near a baby even if it is warm and smells like milk. They like keeping their fur Grin

Poor cat

PineapplePower · 19/04/2019 18:44

I don't understand why people get so wound up about others rehoming their pets

Too many lovely animals and not enough homes for them. If you are foisting your unwanted animal on someone, that means a spot that could have gone to one languishing in a shelter has gone to your animal.

I have had the same cat for 16 years, it has never been vaccinated or spayed

Wow, please say they never had kittens. So irresponsible regardless

TopBitchoftheWitches · 19/04/2019 18:47

op

Your friend is vile. They clearly have a new play thing.

YesQueen · 19/04/2019 19:06

@SchadenfreudePersonified my cat is a weirdo and likes neither. He would rather cuddle with his hooman ConfusedHmm and cries for me if he finds a spider Blush

Bookworm4 · 19/04/2019 19:56

I work in rescue and I'm no longer shocked at the excuses I hear, I never used the word cunt never; until I worked in rescue; it's a daily occurrence now.

Tensixtysix · 19/04/2019 19:58

Grief! I had a Bengal male cat and a baby at the same time. They survived.

Soubriquet · 19/04/2019 20:16

I work in rescue and I'm no longer shocked at the excuses I hear, I never used the word cunt never; until I worked in rescue; it's a daily occurrence now.

I used to work at a rescue...this is some of the excuses:-

  • I’ve redecorated my living room and the dog doesn’t match it anymore
  • we’ve started to go camping but my dog really doesn’t like it. The poor thing had been pampered and was extremely traumatised at being put into to rescue
  • we’ve got a new puppy and this one doesn’t like the puppy
  • we are having a baby

It was sickening at times. So difficult to smile to them and welcome them in. You wanted to swear at them and call them cunts whilst cuddling the poor dog.

The camping dog one gave my heartbreak. She actually watched her owners walk away (again they had babied her) and she whimpered and yelped....they never even looked back

BestZebbie · 19/04/2019 20:50

When pregnant several unrelated people asked me "what am I going to with the hamsters now?". Hamsters. That live in cages and have no track record as a species of suffocating or eating babies...

SchadenfreudePersonified · 19/04/2019 21:17

But they steal babies" breath Zebbie and fill their pouches with it so they can balloon to freedom . . . .

AllTheProsecco · 19/04/2019 21:18

I've seen a FB post similar today too... I wonder if you've changed a few details @Witchofzog and we actually have a friend in common.

FWIW, DC2 was born at home yesterday and our Dcats have so far been very disinterested.

theoldtrout01876 · 19/04/2019 21:19

When my DS1 was a baby, I had a dog. He was a good dog, young, under a year. I was pregnant when I got him.
I came home from Ds1 6 week check up to find out Exh had taken my dog to the pound !!!!. I called the pound to explain and try and get him back but he had been adopted already.
He was neutered, had all his shots and was as well trained as a dog that young could be. He was quite large and a tad boisterous but a good dog. Exh couldnt handle him so waited till I was going to be out for a couple hours and got rid of him. I was heart broken. Should have dumped the exh that day. he did the same to 2 cats later too

SheeshKebab · 19/04/2019 21:21

That's awful. We have 2 cats and a 6 month old baby. Cats bring in mice constantly, sometimes leave guts all over the kitchen floor Angry but we wouldn't dream of rehoming them. They're part of our family and DS loves them! I am worried about when he's crawling etc but I will just clean all the time or do whatever I need to do to make it safe. That's what you take on when you decide to get a pet. Your friend is a shit and I hate that so many people think of animals in this way.

PineapplePower · 20/04/2019 05:13

The hair thing gets me too. It’s (I thought) known that babies who grow up with animals have reduced risks of allergies. So actual health benefits!

Bunbunbunny · 20/04/2019 05:27

Yep they're an idiot for getting the poor cat in the first place

blackcat86 · 20/04/2019 05:55

I must wanted to clarify for those talking about her baby being in special care, having feeding or breathing tubes etc or being poorly. Well I know all babies are different but DD (8 months) had the whole suite of interventions. Now not only did we choose to post pictures of her on Facebook still (I had some horrible comments but its my page and I didn't feel that i needed to be embarrassed that we werent fitting the perfect family image) we were never nor did we hear anyone else advised to rehome pets or asked about hygiene at home. Special care units are not private so everyone hears everything. I'm sure there will be people along who may want to share something different but i thought I would add my experience. We did get my mum and a friend to deep clean the house but major building work was completed before me and baby came home. We also bought a robovac so help clean up after our very fluffy cat (it was about half the cost of your average Dyson).

PiggoSuperstar · 20/04/2019 06:24

What an utter bollock your friend is. My babies were brought up with cats. And dogs, and horses and cows and sheep and pigs. They are all completely fine as are millions of others! Poor cat. Some people are just like that though. Angry

JenniferJareau · 20/04/2019 06:45

She has been flead and wormed but isn't vaccinated or spayed

Then maybe it is a good thing the cat is being rehomed? Not vaccinating or getting the cat neutered shows how utterly useless she is as an owner.

malificent7 · 20/04/2019 06:51

Get a grip. People should be free to rehome their animals for whatever reason they want. Much kinder than keeping an animal they cang look after anymore.
I rehomed one of my cats as her sister bullied her and kept driving her away. I had no idea this would happen.
I wanted to rehome a cat when i was pregnant as i was svared it would accidentally smother dd. Of course i kept her she didnt smotjer dd.
Even if someone decodes pet ownership or a particular animal isnt for them..hardly crime of the century finding a decent loving home for your pet is it?

malificent7 · 20/04/2019 06:51

Typos sorry

Bodicea · 20/04/2019 06:57

As long as she makes sure it goes to a good home I don't see the major problem. Cats don't form attachments in the same way as us. It won't really be bothered whether it has been with the same owner for life or not. You are attaching your human emotions to an animal.
I do think it's a bit off it hasn't been spayed but who knows what the reason is. It would be a docking thing to do to make a comment.
Poor woman has just had a baby, her hormones will be all over the place.

MaryPopppins · 20/04/2019 07:14

This makes my blood boil.

When I was pregnant I had people saying to me "what are you going to do about the cats?"

My reply was always "would you get rid of an older child once a new baby was coming"

Then they'd laugh at me......

Sure the cats aren't quite as spoilt as they were before I had a child.

But they've very much loved members of our family and DD adores them, and they love her. Growing up with pets is important in my opinion.

I'm guessing if more people grew up learning how to care for animals they wouldn't give hem away so freely. Hmm

BarbarianMum · 20/04/2019 08:01

babies who grow up with pets have a reduced risk of allergies

Yeah well my sister and I are living proof that this doesn't always work. My parents tried to bring us up with horses, cats, a dog and a rabbit. She has a severe allergy to dogs and I have life-threatening allergies to horses and rabbits. We are both allergic to cats.